Renewed
by ThatMysteriousGirl
Summary: When Adelaide moves to Japan, for study, she has no home, no friends, no money, nothing. Soon, she's invited to the Host Club, where her life is changed for the better, especially after meeting two flame-haired unforgettable twins. Also follows Yukiko.
1. Renewed: Intro Chapter

Renewed

...

The car sped along at a quick pace. She could see the airport in the distance. That was what was scaring her so absolutely. She checked her bag once again for food, money, and her beloved pencil and diary, which she'd written her life story in. One day it would matter to someone somewhere, but for now, it was her own book of herself. She zipped the bag shut and hugged it tightly to her chest, smiling.

"Honey," her mother began from the seat beside her. Her concentration on the road, she spoke out of the side of her mouth, almost, the sound trickling to her in small waves. "You know you have nowhere to go, right?" She sighed softly, almost undetectable. "When you land, where will you go? Who will take you in?"

She sighed and closed her eyes. Her mind scattered, she opened her eyes and answered, "I'm already enrolled in a top-rated school.." She paused as her mother scoffed and commented, "ritzy rich-person school that we couldn't afford normally.."

She went on, "I'll figure out living when I arrive. I have money, and a mind.." She spoke, not believing her own words. What would she do when the plane touched the ground in Tokyo? The airport should be huge - How will she find her way out without anyone to meet her there? Her plan was flawed, but she went along with her own insane idea, at her own pace. Her mother assumed she had it all figured out , but she didn't, and she likely never would…Maybe she'd just live under her desk.

The car seemed to speed up as she realized the flaws of this plan.

…...

The airport smelled of old people, and greasy fried snacks which she'd gotten used to in her time in America. She was hardcore, to the bone, American, she had to admit. She walked the halls, pulling her suitcase along with her, with her seemingly teary-eyed mother. When she saw a small magazine shop with a candy selection at the counter in the airport, she pulled out a couple dollars and said to her mother, "Give me a second. There's something I've got to do." Her mother looked confused, until she saw her daughter walk towards the candy counter determinedly.

She left America with her suitcase, her diary, her courage, and a package of classic Necco wafers that she wouldn't eat until she reached Japan with them. Sadly, her comfort at the moment was a simple package of candies. The fact she got to watch her last American sunset from the plane, in the skies of Portland, Oregon, was comforting too. She drifted off to sleep after watching the sun fall behind the Oregon horizon, and placing the candies in her bag.


	2. Chapter 1: Introductions Aren't Fun

Chapter 1 - Introductions Aren't Fun

Upon arriving at the school, she had to breathe deeply and act like she wasn't at all amazed at the pure size and, to be honest, the overwhelming amount of _money_ this would have taken. At home, in America, the schools were small in many places, and the outside decoration possibly consisted of an interesting brick pattern, or a few lion head statues on the front entrance. Here - tall pillars, beautiful lines, glistening in the light, a fairly large fountain… the courtyard alone, the fact there was one existent, was about five steps better than her old school in America. This was beautiful; This was Ouran.

Despite feeling very out-of-place, she smoothed the hideous yellow cotton-ball-like Ouran girls' uniform she wore on her nearly scarily thin figure. The dress definitely didn't highlight the parts she wanted highlighted. Her only redeeming quality of her figure, her petite stature, which made the thin-ness almost normal, was hidden by the evil thing. She appeared to be drowning in the fabric, with her small stature. She resembled a porcelain doll in many ways - She was pale, small, delicate, seemingly carved, and many wanted to keep her safe, for fear she'd break if touched. She was annoyed with this in some ways, one being that she was trained in martial arts. She wasn't trained to the point of a black-belt, but she was trained enough.

She wasn't sure where to go, so she sat by the fountain for some time, just reflecting. So far, she had no place to stay, little money, no reputation, no friends, and no family in Japan. She was also not sure about anything anymore. How should she say her name, is it "first, last", or "last, first"? How should she greet a person, does she bow like she's studied? When she spoke, did she know enough Japanese to get by, to introduce herself, and recognize words? She didn't know how to live here, how to speak, how to be, if she was honest with herself. She put her index finger in the fountain behind her to observe the ripple it made in the clear water. The ripple seemed to have a flicker of flame in it, though..

She gasped and jumped, to find a boy in front of her, smiling crookedly, but sweetly. He wore the boys' uniform obviously, and she noticed what the flicker of flame was, the one that her eyes had caught in the fountain water. It was his bright orange-red hair. It reminded her of a burning candle. His golden eyes, those beautiful golden eyes that she couldn't tear her eyes away from, matched his hair in intensity. She laughed a little inside, as she remembered _Twilight _upon seeing his eyes. Then, of course, she missed home again, and sighed a bit.

She decided to be a polite foreigner, and got up, dusting herself off. She smiled slightly at the boy, then bowed, and said, "Hello", in flawless Japanese. When she stood up from the bow, he seemed delighted that she was so polite. She thought over what she'd just said. It had sounded as if she was living here her whole life, as opposed to studying long and hard. It had sounded flawless. Regardless of her wishes, her lips began to form a contented smile. The boy smiled in response, bowing in response also. He looked at her for a moment before gently placing two fingers under a curl of her cocoa brown hair. He held the curl in his palm, examining it, as he spoke.

"You must be a foreigner." He noted. She wanted to shake her head, releasing the defined curl from his hand, but she didn't, because it would wipe away his calm smile. He twirled the curl around his finger pleasantly. "Natural Japanese hair isn't as curly as yours.". He placed the curl back behind her shoulder, almost patting it down.

She nodded. "It's Irish. I'm American, though." She explained. "I have been my whole life." She went on, remembering the candies in her bag somewhere. She chuckled once, and he smiled a small smile in response.

"What's America like? I mean, I guess it's not good enough, since you're here, but what was it that made you move here?" He asked, suddenly intrigued. He was trying to hide it, but he was honestly excited that she was from America. It was nearly funny. She pondered for a minute, trying to figure out how to answer his multiple questions in few sentences. When she finally had her answer in her head, someone called a name from the distance, for someone named "Hikaru". Since the boy in front of her turned his head, she figured it was him. Just to make sure, she asked his name.

"My name is Hikaru. Hikaru Hitachiin, twin brother to Kaoru Hitachiin. I say that because he's coming to take me away now." He laughed a little, then smiled at her. "And what's yours?"

She smiled, answering, "Adelaide Cayce. The foreigner." She introduced herself politely. They boy, Hikaru, chuckled, and then proceeded to invite her to a "host club" in a "music room 3", after classes. After she agreed timidly, he ran off to return to his brother, leaving her to find the office on her own once again.

She could have wandered for hours, through the lonely hallways, and she almost did. She didn't know where to go at all. That statement went for everything at the moment. In fact, she had now idea where she was sleeping tonight. At that last moment, it really hit her how bad her plan was. How unthought-of could a plan get? She had reached the limit, she was sure.

After wandering for at least an hour, she finally found the office on the lower floor, nestled in the building itself. It was near a huge, regal staircase, and near possibly the biggest, most expensive-looking chandelier she'd ever seen. When she walked in, it was huge too. Everything here seemed disproportional to the people inside it, she thought. A man was at the front desk, and looked up to smile at her, then got up to shake her hand - He was obviously familiar with the whole "foreigner" status she had at the moment. Two students, one male, one female, walked up to greet her too. They both bowed, unlike the man formerly at the cold desk. Nothing seemed warm here, just too big and spaced apart too far. Although Hikaru had seemed kind and warm, unlike everything else, and she looked forward to seeing him later. She hoped that she'd made a friend out of him so soon. It would make things easier.

She bowed back, and was led to her first class, which was English. Of course, she remembered, they teach English in Japan, especially this oversized school. She'd only been at this school for a couple hours, and she already had a potential friend, and a class she could space off in - She already spoke English and Japanese fluently. Maybe she'd even be teacher's pet. That would be fine by her. It wouldn't provide a home, but it would be amusing.

The school day went by fast, and soon enough, school was technically out. She still had no bed for the night. She was getting scared, now. She held in her breath, for fear of screaming to the sky, and walked, head down, to the music room 3 that Hikaru had mentioned that morning. She looked forward to seeing him again - he was the only person she'd met today that managed kind words for her.


	3. Chapter 2: Some Boys Have Too Much Time

Chapter 2 - Some Boys Have Too Much Time

She walked up to the large, intricate door timidly. She smoothed her skirt, fixed her hair, even fixed her makeup before even laying a hand on the giant door. These doors were scary, intimidating. She was afraid to enter, even if her potential friend was on the other side of this thick door. She stepped towards the door, and placed one soft, shaking hand on the handle. When she turned the handle, she turned it slowly, and peeked her head in slightly. However, there seemed to be a wind coming from inside - it pushed the door fully open, and threw her to the ground.

A thousand red rose petals flew from inside the door, and she stared in shock. Sitting on the cold floor, she could see nothing past the petals, until they cleared, and six attractive boys were in some kind of arrangement, in cosplay. The cosplay wasn't really cosplay, but seemed to be some kinds of hip-hop outfits.

She thought she saw Hikaru, with his flame-red locks, and smiled excitedly, but there were two of him, when she really looked. She knew she wasn't just seeing doubles, because, for one, she wasn't drunk, and the two were wearing different outfits. One even wore the same $500 pair of Dr. Dre headphones which she'd seen on two Korean celebrities, in music videos.

She wondered if she was awake. She wondered if she was alive. Suddenly, everything went black.

She opened her eyes, sitting on a fancy pink sofa, in a huge pink room. The six boys were gathered around her, so naturally her heart tried to throw itself out of her chest. Each had such beautiful features…She found herself staring. However, she didn't need this now, as she shook her head, holding it when she found herself dizzy. The blond boy's eyes widened, and he quickly snapped his head over, to look at the red-haired doubles. She wondered if she'd really died.

"You two, what did you do to this girl?" He demanded, fire in his eyes. What did he care? He didn't even know her.

The two flame doubles shrugged, they seemed innocent.

"We don't know" One said. The other crossed his arms, and answered, "And besides, what motive would we have to make a random girl pass out?".

Adelaide cocked her head to the side, trying to figure out what had just happened from their words. She sat up a little, and all eyes were on her again. Her eyes flickered from boy to boy, and then she asked, "I passed out?"

5 of the boys nodded, like she was one prone to overreaction. One just gave her an "I'm sorry" smirk, out of the corner of his mouth.

"Why?" She asked, sounding stupid, surely. The blonde boy seemed annoyed and went out of the circle around her to pace, fingers on his temples. The red-haired doubles stepped forward, one putting his hand on her forehead. He seemed confused, then sighed, reporting, "She doesn't have a fever…". The other asked if she was alright.

She paused, dumb-founded by it all for a second. Then, she finally asked, "why are there two of you?". The brown-haired shorter one of the group, the one who had smirked, seemed slightly annoyed by her question, but didn't go pace, like the short-tempered-seeming blond one. Both the red-haired doubles seemed slightly saddened, too. The shortest one, a little blond boy, came up to her, and handed her a pink stuffed bunny, which she tucked under her arm softly. The boy said, "I'll explain". She nodded, eager to know what had just happened. He spoke in a child's voice.

"You see, this is a host club. We entertain girls of all types here, and for us, that involves cosplay, as we talk to them. That explains the outfits - today's cosplay was hip-hop. Hikaru and Kaoru are identical twins, it's their game to tell them apart. Hikaru was talking about how he invited you here earlier, actually. He was really excited. He kept mentioning how you were a foreigner. Anyway, Kaoru is his twin brother. They must have seemed like doubles when you first saw them, you only met the one, and didn't know there was another." She saw one of the flame-headed boys look up, interested. "We're sorry for startling you, miss foreigner." He said, smiling.

"Wait.. how do you know that I'm Adelaide, the 'foreigner'?" She asked. So far, she had only introduced herself to Hikaru.

"You fit the description." He answered, winking, then running off to stuff his face with cake. The tall, tough-seeming, black-haired boy went with him, smiling at her before turning away.

By this time, the taller blond had stopped being annoyed with her utter confusion at the moment, and came back to her, bending to take her hand and kiss the back of her palm. She felt her heart nearly stop. He opened his eyes, and she felt like she was drowning in them.

"My name is Tamaki Suoh. I'm very pleased to meet you. What is your name, dear?" He asked. His voice rang with the beauty and clarity of a bell, the softness of a cat's fur, and the smell of roses. She had to remind herself to breathe.

"M-My name is Adelaide Cayce. I-I'm from America." She stuttered, with effort. Her breath came in short almost gasps. He was just too perfect for any one girl to handle.

He seemed to be listening to her thoughts, or maybe she was just very readable, because he was now smiling at her. He smiled at her in a way that made her believe he could actually hear her thoughts right now. Could he, she wondered? No, she highly doubted it. Though, he was definitely analyzing her, and reading her expressions.

"Nice to meet you, Adelaide." He said, again kissing the back of her hand. He smiled at her sweetly, then stood up and gestured, calling "Hosts, hosts". Every one of the 6 boys walking around stopped to turn to him, and waited for the announcement, or whatever it might be. The blonde, Tamaki, spoke in a very audible voice, asking them to introduce themselves.

Each one of the boys got in a line of sorts, for introductions. One of the flame-headed doubles seemed to be slightly blushing, but it could've just been her imagination. The blushing one had slightly glassier, deeper, eyes..Yes, she could begin seeing some differences now. The two were not doubles, they were different. It must have hurt them when she'd asked why there were two of them. It must be an issue for them, since she had to really look to see the differences. One of the twins saw her staring, and looked down at the floor, blushing slightly, if he wasn't already. The other twin looked at her with a crooked smile that was familiar to her, she'd seen it before.

"You know me already," He said, " But my name is Hikaru Hitachiin. I'm the twin brother of this nervous thing right here." He joked, messing up the others' candle-flame hair and laughing. The other pouted, still looking at the floor.

"Hikaru~.." The other said, looking at his shoes. "Don't mess up my hair like that…And I am not nervous!" Hikaru removed his hand from his twin's head, and placed it under his chin, lifting it so he could look into his eyes. Adelaide felt that she shouldn't be watching them anymore, so intently.

"Don't worry, Kaoru…I think it's cute." Hikaru remarked, placing a stray hair of Kaoru's behind his ear, dragging his own thumb along Kaoru's cheek in the process. The other, Kaoru, she presumed, blushed a bright red, and looked around, embarrassed.

"Hikaru.." He whispered, his face red.

"Kaoru.." He whispered back.

"Um…" Adelaide commented by mistake. The word just kind of came out on it's own.

The two looked up from their little moment, both crookedly smiling now.

"Yaoi." One explained.

"What, not a fan like every other girl that comes here?" The other asked. Adelaide had heard about this. Yaoi..or, in simpler terms, boy+boy.

"She doesn't seem to like incest, either." They continued.

"What a waste of a good scenario." They said together. Adelaide hurried to reply before they walked away.

"Well, no, not really.." She said, as both twins sighed. "Are you two..really..?" She asked, or rather, tried to ask through surprise.

"No, we're not." They explained, bored now. " We act like it though, to draw in fans of taboos. Bad boys. Rebels. Anything of the sort, really."

"And especially yaoi fans. They're always strange ones." The other remarked, examining his nails. Tamaki snapped at them to bow and introduce themselves properly. They did, Hikaru giving a sweet little smirk while bowing. They'd met before, he'd already introduced himself. The other, Kaoru, just bowed politely, though she thought she saw a small blush on his perfect face.

When he came up from his bow, Kaoru stepped forward to her, feeling a bow and a name wasn't enough of an introduction, or maybe he thought she deserved more, or maybe he wanted another second of her attention, she'd never precisely know. She looked up into his eyes as he lifted her palm to his lips, and kissed the back of her hand. She wasn't sure is she was blushing or on fire anymore. Not only did he just place his perfect lips on her skin, which set her on fire every time, but looking in his eyes, she saw a gentleness in them that melted her heart into them.

Kaoru was beautiful. He had a way about him that made everything he said or did wonderful. She was watching him before, but now she was intensely staring. She didn't know what to say when he looked back, straight into her eyes, so she let her heart speak, as it tried to fling itself at him. She couldn't say anything, her breath was trapped in her throat. He pretended not to notice her current troubles with speaking, and smiled kindly at her before stepping back into line. She tried to blink, and look away, but he was engraved into her mind now, there wasn't much she could do anymore.

The next in the line for introductions was a shorter brunette. This boy stepped forward and bowed, but did not try to flatter her or kiss the back of her palm. He bowed politely, with an air of intelligence. He was not more refined than the others, but not one to try to make girls blush, like the others. When he came up from his bow, he pulled her a bit closer, to whisper in her ear a warning. He really smelled good, almost like her own perfume. His breath smelled sweet too, as he whispered his warning, which went something like "This club is very strange. It takes time to adjust. Please, don't be freaked out by anything. The twins over there," He glanced their way, "They use yaoi and incest to draw in customers. The little one, he's really 17 years old. The older one doesn't talk much, and takes care of the little one. Don't bother the one with glasses. Tamaki, the tall blonde one, he's really childish, but calls himself 'king' here. And me, well...Maybe one day you'll find out my secret." He said, pulling back to smile, state his name as Haruhi, and step back in line. Adelaide nodded, as a thank you, and he nodded in return.

The next one to come up and introduce himself was the small, blonde one, carrying his stuffed pink bunny, which he had gotten up from the couch. The tallest, black-haired, silent one came with him. The little one introduced them both, saying his name was Mitsukini, but everyone called him Honey, and the "tall one here" was named Takashi, but everyone called him Mori for short. The little one, Honey, gave her a small hug and ran off, past the line, to the sweets. The taller one, Mori, nodded and smiled, his form of a hug or a kiss on the hand, and followed him.

The last to introduce himself was a clever-seeming, and fairly cold, black haired boy. He carried a notebook and a pen, quickly scribbling down something on an empty page before placing it under his arm, to hold it, before bending down and kissing her palm, politely. He was more refined than the others, she could tell, especially the twins. As she thought about the twins, though, her thoughts crawled back to Kaoru. Thinking about Kaoru, she felt lightheaded, and her heart pounded. The boy looked up at her from his her palm, puzzled, then realizing. He stood and pulled out the notebook, scribbling down something with what seemed like only a flick of his wrist. She tilted her head sideways, and was about to ask about the notebook, when he turned and walked back to the line. The blonde one nodded, and those who were in the line bowed simultaneously, Hikaru's eyes seeming to watch her the whole time his head went down. She was pretty sure there was something going on behind the liquid gold of his eyes, but she didn't bother to question it.

"Now that the introductions are done, I'll be entertaining her." Tamaki announced, stepping forward to take her left hand in his gentle, yet eager, grip, and begin to pull her away. She stared up at him, and he smiled back, but when she looked around the room, something seemed to be troubling Hikaru. She stared at him curiously, until he got closer and grasped her right wrist, a look of wanting in his eyes that she couldn't quite understand. He blushed, some of his orange hair falling in front of his eyes as he looked at the floor and spoke.

"Actually, Tono.. Kaoru and I would like to entertain her today. You can have her tomorrow." He said, in a tone that made it noticeably hard for Tamaki to refuse. Though, however hard it was from him to say no, he walked a couple steps forward, tugging Adelaide along with him. Adelaide felt a tug on her other arm, and she stumbled back, almost falling into Hikaru entirely. Tamaki gave Hikaru a look that said something like "why?", looking wholly confused by Hikaru's actions. No matter how confused he was, though, he got the message, and let go of Adelaide, as Hikaru pulled her away gently. He seemed to be treating her as gently as a rose after a hard rain.

He pulled her away with a quickness to his step, but a softness to his nature. He seemed annoyed by the little mishap a second ago, but knew to keep his cool, and gentleness radiated through him to her wrist. She followed willingly to the table where Kaoru sat, and where there were two more empty seats. He sat first, and then kept hold of her wrist as she sat, only letting go when she looked at him and smiled.

"Hello there." Kaoru said, leaning across the table towards her, seemingly having gotten over his shyness. He smiled a heartstoppingly beautiful smile. She was pretty sure she blushed.

"Hi there." She said quietly, blushing and smiling at him slightly. He reached forward and placed a strand of her cocoa hair behind her ear softly, ever so slightly smoothing over her ear.

"Your hair is really nice, you know." He complimented, "It's so soft and it's the perfect shade of brown. I also love the curls, it really makes your face look cute." He said, smiling a sweet smile that she couldn't resist smiling back at. He was just the sweetest thing.

"It really is, dear." Hikaru said, leaning far enough over to make her feel fought over by the twins. Maybe she was being paranoid, but Hikaru seemed awfully clingy, and Kaoru coming up and just touching her like that might've made him jealous. She giggled. That was a cute thought, the twins fighting over her. Hikaru startled her out of her thoughts with "Mind if we ask you some questions about yourself?".

She nodded, and their interrogation began. Kaoru was first.

"So, what's America like?" He asked, both twins then staring closer, intrigued. Her eyes flickered back and forth from twin to twin, then focused out the window.

"It's very busy there. There are a lot of places where people are always rushing to do this, or do that. But, it's also a pretty creative place, filled with opportunity. You can become anything you dream of there, you can do anything. I loved it. Especially the candy." She said, giggling. Kaoru tilted his head a bit, confused.

"If you loved it, why did you leave?" He asked.

"You know that feeling you get sometimes? Where you just want to explore and see the world? I'd been studying Japanese and Japanese culture for years, when I decided I'd just enroll in a school there, one with a foreigner scholarship, and study in the place that started it all. So far, it seems like.." She paused, remembering the flaws in her plan. "A new beginning." She decided to use that term, not wanting to worry anyone. Hikaru pursed his lips and asked the exact question she'd wanted to stay away from.

"Did you make any real plans? I mean, for example, where are you staying?"

Adelaide looked at her lap, and faked a smile, answering with a lie at first. "I..I have somewhere to say out of the city. It's just a small place…" She went on with her lie until both twins only looked concerned. Then out came the unpleasant truth. "I don't have anywhere to stay, I don't know what I was thinking." She admitted, sighing. Next thing she knew, she felt one of their hands on her back, gently rubbing it, comforting her. Then she heard some subtle whispering between the two behind her back. Soon, Kaoru was in her ear, saying "Why don't you just stay with us?"

She looked up, right into his mesmerizing golden eyes. She had trouble breathing upon seeing his warm, gentle eyes, but she managed to breathe and ask if he was serious. He said he was, and they had an extra room or two to spare even after she moved in. Hikaru then pulled her into a hug, very tenderly. Kaoru rubbed her back, and she leaned into Hikaru, hugging back.

"You two are being very kind, you know that, right?" She said. "I mean, I'm not a handful, but you are saying you'll take responsibility for another person. That's big."

Hikaru just smoothed her hair, and told her it was no big deal, the family home had space. She sighed and cuddled into his chest. He sure was warm, it was comforting in its own way. A life holding another life dear, quite a feat of creation. She didn't fall asleep, but she closed her eyes, and thought, rather than dreamt. She'd think out everything until his warmth had burnt away all her worries slowly.


	4. Chapter 3: Becoming Alive

Chapter 3 - Becoming Alive

"You're gonna just love it there!…" Hikaru was going on and on about how much she'd warm up to them, how much she'd love living with them..Kaoru was walking slightly behind her, back to his shyness, carrying her school bag. She wanted to look back, but she didn't want him to look back, for fear she'd just lose all control of her mind upon the sight of his eyes. He was simply entrancing..

She couldn't resist looking back at him. "Just a peek," she told herself. However, when she looked back at him, he looked up at her from the ground and smiled shyly. He lifted the bag up a little higher and panted, jokingly, as if saying "it's heavy!". She giggled quietly, so as to not attract Hikaru's attention, and stuck her tongue out at him, as if saying "It's not that heavy, now quite being a baby!". He smiled for a second, then stuck his tongue out at her, playfully. Hikaru noticed the movement of her head, looking back at his brother, his expression becoming slightly worried.

"Are you sure you're fine with carrying her bag, Kaoru?" He asked, kindly. Kaoru smiled and chuckled once or twice before answering.

"Yeah, Hika, I'm perfectly fine carrying it. It's actually really light." He looked to Adelaide, tilting his head only so little that only she noticed through her fixation on him. She should be ashamed, but he was just so beautiful… "What's in this thing, anyway?"

"Yeah, Adelaide...what's in your bag~?" Hikaru said deviously, before rushing back to where his brother was standing, gesturing to Kaoru for the bag. She gave Kaoru a look, but he gave over the bag, suddenly no opposition to the game his brother was playing.

She really didn't mind. There wasn't much in there, was there? She'd brought her candies, a pencil…and…oh, no…

She had her diary in there.

Her diary had some embarrassing things in it about her, she could bet.

She was sure they knew enough English to translate…she'd even written some in Japanese, for practice.

Hikaru held the bag as Kaoru put his fingers on each side of the latch, pawing it slightly before he would eventually press both sides, letting all her secrets loose. The tendons in his fingers tensed, but she let out a tiny "no", and he seemed to be torn between being a devil or an angel. One look to Hikaru convinced him being a devil was more fun, and he clicked the sides down.

Hikaru then was the one to paw through the bag, luckily coming upon the candies before anything else, and pulling them out, holding them up to Kaoru, who then turned to her. She looked frantically from face to face, explaining they were very good candies from America. Without her judgment, they decided to taste the Necco Wafers for themselves, both seeming to evaluate before saying the candies were "alright". She could tell they were both enjoying them, though, as they placed the package back in her brown bag.

Hikaru pawed around some more, coming across some of her clothes she'd packed. After all, her schoolbag was currently her luggage, too. He must have come across an undergarment or something like a bathing suit, because he blushed, yet refused to acknowledge anything had occurred. Kaoru tilted his head at the blush, but when his brother didn't explain, he looked for himself, and blushed too. That should teach them to not look through a girl's luggage again, she thought, giggling quietly.

She thought she was safe, that now they'd stop looking, after coming across something unpleasant. She comforted herself with this thought, but they crushed that comfort and hope when a devilish smile came across both their faces, and Hikaru pulled out a notebook. They walked over to her, giving her back her bag, but keeping her diary, as they each leaned on one of her shoulders. She whined as Hikaru held the diary up in the air, too high for her to even attempt to reach it. This seemed to please them, and they smiled evil grins.

"Dearest~," Hikaru began, tossing the diary to Kaoru, who neatly and easily caught it.

"Is this your diary?" Kaoru finished, waving it in the air, teasing. She didn't know he could be this mean, his eyes told another story - He was supposed to be kind, and not able to hurt a fly. What happened?

She knew. She shouldn't judge that quickly. Now her heart could be crushed that much easier, by those deceiving golden eyes, and that tempting smile.

"Yes." She answered, blankly, not enjoying it one bit. Kaoru made a toss to Hikaru, who, of course, caught the thing effortlessly. They seemed to notice her bitterness and blankness, and now were really tuning into her words. "It's my diary. I'd prefer you not read it, but if you're that determined to embarrass me, you may."

When she had finished speaking, she felt something fall into her open schoolbag. She looked inside it, seeing her diary, placed where it should be, once again. She felt confused. Weren't they trying to destroy her after building her up? Trying to decipher the two, she looked up at them, their evil grins now sympathetic and ashamed smirks. She smiled at them both, and they seemed interested in the vibe she was now giving off; forgiveness. Even stranger, she stepped back to get them off of her shoulders, but went right back up to them to hug them. Both tensed; They weren't used to people being this near them as she was. She whispered, "I can't thank you enough."

But, as this moment was awkward for both twins, Hikaru had to ruin it by asking, "For what? Giving you back the diary?"

Kaoru added, "Well, it _was_ yours, we'd have to give it back sometime soon."

Adelaide rolled her eyes, stepping back to smile and say, "For being you, I guess." Then she turned to walk off to the limo waiting for them, that happiness showing on her face, and that bounce in her step that had attracted countless friends and won over all of her family. They twins eyed her back, admiring her as much as they were confused by her.

She was different than all the other plain Ouran girls, she had a real light behind her smile that she didn't bother to keep concealed to look proper and calm.

She was a confusing girl because of the range of emotions and thoughts she could go through in a single 5 minutes. It was almost astonishing, almost as bad as Tamaki. No, it _was_ as bad as Tamaki. However, in her, that trait was much more cute than annoying. And another confusion for the two, she had warmed up to them already. They were used to girls liking them, but she was different in that she liked them for themselves. Not the façade they put on for clientele, not for their appearance, but for them themselves. They liked her, too, they could get used to her being around, for sure.

They exchanged one confused yet "she's interesting, for sure" glance, before they followed behind her, to the limo.

The limo ride was peaceful, yet chaotic.

Everyone's mind was racing. Adelaide's mind stirred uneasily with thoughts of her future, unplanned, yet now with some hope. The boys were kind enough to her, this life the life of the wealthy. She liked the fact that she could now enjoy the finer things in life, and they had to know that she wasn't any type of aristocrat in America. She had to just remember her manners, not act like every one of those finer things was a new sight, even if it was.

Kaoru had thoughts of her in his mind, as did Hikaru. They both saw her as a new type of girl, one they hadn't encountered before. That she was. She wasn't like the other girls they knew, the plain ones, with expected reactions. Every one of her reactions was unexpected, it was very strange.

Both twins' emotions were scattered, as well as their thoughts. Though she'd beg to differ, she had a good enough figure. She was kind, and, at the same time, had quite the pretty face. Her eyes and smile had a certain light behind them that couldn't be matched by any other girl…not any Ouran girl, anyway. As they continued to stare, and think, their eyes and thoughts on her, they felt their hearts race a little, and became confused. What was this feeling inside of them right now? It couldn't be love, no, it was too soon, but when she smiled up at them, both were taken aback slightly, being drawn more and more to the strange girl they were now faced with.

Though, Kaoru understood it more than his brother did. If anything, they did like this girl more than any they entertained in the Host Club. They felt something for her, for sure. But with a sigh, Kaoru looked at his brother's gaze, aimed at her, and thought, "only time will tell".

…...

The first night passed without an ounce of sleep. Her thoughts were trying to sort themselves out by being everywhere at once.

Her room wasn't ready yet, so she had to sleep in the twins' room, with them. They had dug up an old air mattress, and so she slept on the floor on that. It wasn't too comfortable, though, so she was tossing and turning when she had stopped the over thinking. Or, rather, paused the over thinking. The twins were too deep asleep to hear her tossing and turning like that. So, she was secretly distressed.

The twins went on sleeping while she went on worrying. When she finally got a few hours of sleep, it was early morning, and the sheets were all tangled in a knot around her.

…...

Meanwhile, on the streets somewhere:

"It's not so much the light as it is the heat." A girl with mid-length black hair that had a red streak explained her dislike for the daytime.

"Really?" A girl with longer blonde hair questioned, giggling. "I just don't see it." She said, smiling.

"It's quite simple. See, you know how I always wear black?" The other girl nodded. "Well, black attracts heat, so I get really hot during the day. I don't love it." She said, staring ahead.

After a few moments, the gothic girl with black hair and gray eyes noticed that the sound of footsteps was no longer beside her. Panicked, she looked all around for her friend. "Eiko?" The girl called out, panic creeping into her voice. "Eiko…"

Suddenly, a desperate scream could be heard from around the corner. There was a flash of blonde hair and a sword as the girl turned to find her friend. She was standing in front of a man who held a sharp sword. Her long blonde hair was blowing in the wind slightly, making the scene even more dramatic. This man…the girl had seen his face before…

An escaped criminal. A killer. With a weapon and a thirst for blood.

Swiftly, the man came running towards the innocent Eiko, with the weapon raised high above his head. The other girl couldn't react properly in time to save Eiko without getting hurt.

Without thinking, the girl jumped between her friend and the killer, the sword plunging deep into her leg. Agitated, the man rose the sword again, but the girl was still in the way and got cut a second time, deeper, if that was even possible, in another spot, slightly higher.

The girl screamed out in agony, but managed to get up. Upon seeing the blood, Eiko ran for her life. The girl was too busy keeping consciousness to see her friend leave in terror.

As Eiko ran, Yukiko fought. The man couldn't fight without his weapon, and once she'd knocked it out of his hands, she was able to knock him unconscious.

Though, Yukiko's gashes were bleeding too much for her to keep consciousness. She looked at her leg, and it was as if the whole limb was dyed in red. The puddle on the ground was too much for her to see, and she dropped to the ground. Soon, she had blacked out, her leg bleeding too much for one person to handle. Her last thought: "I'm going to die. Goodbye Eiko".

If only that _had_ been her last thought.


	5. Chapter 4: Lost Souls in Comparison

Chapter 4 - Lost Souls in Comparison

Yukiko awoke to tubes attached to her arm and cold white walls, complete with an unfamiliar and cold bed. Her black hair lay messy and splayed out on the pillow, doing whatever it felt like doing. Her body was sheathed in a plain nightgown, with an awfully sterile pattern. Now that she looked around, the whole room was sterile.

Her eyes narrowed at the tubes in her arm. She was in the hospital.

But wait, for what?

Images flashed behind her eyelids as she blinked, as if her brain was trying to help her remember the horror.

She remembered, yes. But maybe she shouldn't have tried to. The images were almost like those from a horror film.

Blood..oh, so much blood. Her leg, sliced open. Had she seen her own muscle and bone from the inside before? That couldn't be normal.

Panicked at the state her leg was in, she lifted the sheets and took a peek. It was wrapped up in every way possible. She couldn't move it; It was either tied down, or she had lost all nerve connections to it. Maybe some drug prevented her from moving it. She didn't know; She didn't care. All she knew for sure was that she was in a hospital, she had been injured badly, and Eiko wasn't here.

Eiko. The reason she was in here, like this, in this condition. Where was the girl?

"Well, I suppose she'll be here soon enough. I saved her life, after all." She said to herself quietly, folding her hands over her chest, preparing to wait however long it took for the other girl to arrive and shower her in balloons and 'get well soon' items.

She fell asleep waiting. The girl still didn't come.

…...

Adelaide woke to a bucket of cold water on her face. Once she had finally fallen asleep, she was out cold. The twins wanted to get her to school on time, so they decided to pour cold water on her.

She flailed and sat up immediately. "What was that for?" She growled under her breath, much like Honey or Kyoya when it came to being waken up, and not being a morning person in the slightest.

Kaoru grinned at her and began, "Dear, if you sleep like that,"

"You'll completely miss school." Hikaru finished. Both grinned at her, until she began to throw her pillows at the two.

"Get out if you want to live." She growled, staring the two down as best she could through her tired eyes.

"Y…yes, ma'am!" They responded, almost backing out of the room, afraid for their lives.

Adelaide groaned and started digging in her bag for her makeup and hair things, grabbing her uniform off the bathroom hanger before taking a shower and dressing.

After her shower, Adelaide was a much more pleasant creature. She got ready quickly, but she was kind of sleepy still. But it was fine, she'd be awake enough for school, and soon, she'd wake up more completely.

It was off to school with her, and her life seemed all too normal.

…...

Yukiko's gray eyes grazed over an old picture her father had brought her days before, when he was explaining to her why she'd done what she'd done. There was a new bitterness in his tone, then; It seemed rough and unwelcoming. Her mother refused to visit at all.

She held the film in her pale fingers, studying the photo. She placed two fingers on the blonde girl's restoration in the paper, tears coming to her eyes. Eiko's kindness could be seen in her eyes, her warmth clearly radiating to Yukiko, who was hugging Eiko from the side, having just attacked her with a surprise hug, laughing wholeheartedly, her gray eyes closed in joy.

Now, her eyes closed in hopelessness, a tear or two rolling down her cheek. She put the photo on the bedside table, and then pressed the button to call the nurse in, for more painkillers. Theoretically, she could overdose on the stuff, but she just wanted to be knocked out for a few hours right now.

Once knocked out, all went black, and she slept dreamlessly. No visits were reported in the several hours she was out.

It had been at least a week since the attack, and still Eiko hadn't come, and neither had her mother. Her father visited, but his company wasn't really what you would call 'pleasant'.

Yukiko preferred to be knocked out on painkillers as time passed her by. One day, though, she would be out of the hospital, and she'd have to face her life.

It wouldn't be the same as before. She knew this much, but when she started to think, she'd ask for more painkillers.

…...

"Welcome.." Kaoru began.

"To Ouran." They finished together, all three sitting in their limo outside of the school. The twins were on either side of her, apparently hardcore fans of symmetry, each leaning on one of her shoulders. She was nervous, chewing on her lip. In her mind, yesterday didn't count, today was her first day.

Her curls were in a disarray to her eyes, but the twins had assured her that her hair was beautiful before she'd left their house. Her thoughts were in disarray as well.

"Guys… I'm really sorry about this morning.." She apologized again, quietly. She'd been repeating that since she'd left the house - no, since she'd finished getting ready. She really wasn't herself when in her 'just woke up' mood.

"Like we've told you a million times by now.." Hikaru began.

"We're not mad." Kaoru finished, with a crooked smile. So adorable…

"You're just too cute to be mad at~" Hikaru teased, chuckling. Kaoru didn't laugh, but his face seemed to brighten at his brother's cheerful laugh. Adelaide smiled slightly, though still unsure.

"So, don't worry, dear." Kaoru said, quietly, in a simply entrancing tone, so sweet she should worry about getting cavities.

Adelaide's heart pounded at the sound of that voice.

"Fine…" She agreed, a bit reluctant. Worrying was just something she did.

Hikaru smiled at her once more and opened the door on his side, stepping out of the limo. Kaoru nudged her, and she followed Hikaru out of the car, Kaoru following behind her.

Adelaide grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Well.. Here I am."

…...

Outside the window, there were leaves. Autumn leaves that she had once played in. Now, she was practically strapped to this bed.

At least she could walk now. The nerve connections were restored to walking ability, and she had to practice walking with a nurse and a cloud over her head each day. It was painful, and occasionally she collapsed, but she was getting closer to finding her own path every day. Walking had never been something she had thought about. Now it was her task at hand.

Still, people hardly visited. It was a lonely existence, indeed. Her mother, from what she'd been told, was extremely displeased with her. Her actions. The fact that fighting and getting covered in blood wasn't what a lady would do. As if it wasn't already hopeless to make her into the perfect heir to the Kasumi fortune and business..

Eiko wasn't even worth hoping for. She wasn't coming, and that was that. Even though Yukiko had risked her life to save the blonde's.

Her father, however, did visit. He wasn't great company, he never had been, but he told stories. How her mother had smiled so much during Christmastime. How there had been this strange red-headed neighbor kid going past the house every morning on his way to school. How many "get well" wishes Yukiko had been receiving from old friends and schoolmates - the one she knew for a fact was a cold lie.

His lies never hurt, though. They were sweet. He had always been the one to care for her, whereas her mother had simply been grooming her into a suitable heir. As a child, when she'd done something incorrectly, her mother would scold her. She'd then look up to her dad, and he'd smile sympathetically. She wondered, though, how were these two adults still together? He obviously feared the woman, all Yukiko could sense was a slave/owner relationship. But, maybe Yukiko was wrong, maybe there was love.

Yukiko really doubted she'd ever find love. She was scary to most males, sadly. As well as females. The girl was just scary.

But not here. Not here, with her dad beside her hospital bed, telling stories about her house, what was going on in the world. Here she was cared for. Not quite loved, because her mom had somewhat brainwashed him into thinking Yukiko was a bad girl, a horrible failure on their part. No, here she wasn't rejected.

It was later. Visiting hours were almost up, but her dad had stayed for hours anyway. Who knew why, only he could. He began to pick up his phone off the bedside table and get up, but Yukiko grasped onto his sleeve impulsively.

"One more story." She demanded, with fierce eyes. "One more." She repeated.

Her father looked out the window, at the dark skies, and sighed. Scowling slightly, he sat back down in the chair set up beside her bed and rubbed his temples. "Kiko… you know how bad it is for me to drive home in the dark, don't you..?"

"Yeah, but.. But you still have a half-hour of visiting time, you know.." She suggested.

"I was going to use that time differently."

"You mean flirt with my main nurse when I call for a sedative?" Yukiko corrected, raising an eyebrow. Her dad just glared.

"What is it with you and suspecting something romantic is going on?"

"I wouldn't call it romance, father. I'd call it stupid. You're both married." She pointed out. A moment later, she smirked and said, "Hey dad..? If you stay for a while longer, I know what story I'd like to hear."

"What?" Her dad demanded, frowning a bit, almost pouting.

"The one of you and mother. How did that even come to be?" She asked. There was a moment of silence before her dad crossed his arms.

"Now, why would you want to hear something like that? You're a fifteen year old girl. You'll think it's gross."

"I'm curious." She stated, bluntly.

"Fine.." He allowed, sitting down beside her. "Then I'm gone."

She nodded and settled in for the story. By the time it was over, she was sound asleep without the need for numerous painkillers, for the first time in weeks. The story was sweet and calming, even though they had turned into a couple much like a king and queen.

…...

[Chapter 4! Aww yeah. c:

Okay, yeah, this took me FOREVER AND A DAY to finish. But I had writer's block to continue it. Also, I had a roleplay account of Addy, but I became uninterested in her, so I deleted it, and that's why this chapter focused more on Yukiko, who is my favorite character I've created to this day. This part of her life, especially, is extremely interesting, and so I wanted to focus more on her, and neglected Addy. D;

I suppose I'll bring some KaoxAddy in the next chapter to keep me, and everyone of you, interested. ^_^ But there will still be -some- Yukiko.. Not sure where, but she rules my writing mind at the moment. .'

So, thank you for keeping with me and not giving up on me entirely, unless you have, in which case *cue sad face* ]


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